Yesterday the 6th graders were swell. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to finish the fourth section. This really is going to have an impact on their performance. This takes away a full rehearsal class. While the dance does look really lovely, they still need to clean a good bit of it up. They need to rehearse certain parts that are more challenging than others. They're pretty comfortable with the third section, but the fourth is a different story. In my opinion, Ms. Donk should reschedule the performance until the next Wednesday. That way, they'll be much more comfortable with all of the choreography, and they'll also have time to clean.

After class on Thursday, Ms. Donk had a talk with Joseph. Yesterday in class he was much better, he wasn't complaining about anything or bossing anyone around. After class he apologized to Ms. Donk and promised to be on his best behavior from then on. He even said he went home and talked to his dad about the talk he had with Ms. Donk. He said his father has told him the same thing many times before, but hearing it from Ms. Donk really hit home. He really is very mature for a 6th grader. He's becoming one of my favorites...

The 6th graders were lovely today. They only worked on the fourth section of the dance in hopes of finishing it. We didn't finish it, but we came close. We should definitely be able to finish it tomorrow. That way they'll have Monday and Tuesday's classes to rehearse it before their performance on Wednesday. 

Joseph had another bad day today. He was bossing people around, trying to direct them at the same time that Ms. Donk was. He also kept reminding Ms. Donk of the amount of time left in class, as if she didn't know what time to let them out. Also, he was complaining that some students couldn't catch onto some choreography right away. He can be a bit of a brat sometimes, but on other days he's a great helper.

Trinity is blossoming. She's getting comfortable with her brisk and tough solo, and she's really looking lovely dancing it. If she sticks with it she's going to be great, there's no doubt about that.

As a result of their performance being next week, Ms. Donk asked that I wait until next week to teach my class. We didn't start class with a warm-up today, instead Ms. Donk gave me the floor to give the students corrections on the first three sections of their dance. They were really receptive to the corrections, and they even gave me a big "thank you!" when we were finished. Then, we ran the piece so they could apply the corrections. It really is coming along, and they really are growing into a great group of dancers. Then we added onto the fourth section of the dance, which is extremely rigorous. They need much more help with the fourth section than they have with any other section of the dance, because of the increased speed and level of choreography. I'm working with them on a more individual level than ever before.
I've noticed that the only male in the class, Joseph, seems to be a very mature dancer. Come to find out, he takes private tap and ballet lessons. I've noticed that he's a real leader in the class, and he's very helpful to other students if they're having trouble with something. I like Joseph, but he can be a little bossy. He bosses people around, and often suggests things to Ms. Donk (in a rude manner). But at the same time, whenever he messes up it's like he doesn't want to hear anything about it. When I gave him a correction today he said "well Ms. Donk told me to do it this way." It was ironic because Ms. Donk was the one who told me to give him that correction. I've got to watch out for Joseph; hopefully one day soon he'll realize that he doesn't know everything, and still has a LOT to learn.

Class today was much less eventful than it was yesterday. We warmed up and then went straight into the piece. We ran the first three sections, and went through and added onto the fourth. The fourth section is much more difficult than the other three.  Also, so far it contains only duets and solos. It's nice to see them dance on an individual level. Some are shining, while some seem embarrassed. Ms. Donk gave Trinity an extremely tough piece of choreography. Not only is it tough, but it's also very fast. It seems as if she's scared to fully try it and see what happens. I drilled it with her a few times in class, and she seemed to be doing better with it. Then, when we ran the piece, it was like she froze up. It'll be interesting to see how she is once she's more comfortable with the choreography. 

Tomorrow I teach once again, and I'm a little nervous. I have to build an entirely new class for them, since they already added the old choreography into their piece. I'll do a longer warmup, and add in some across the floor material. Then, I'll teach them a short combination. Hopefully it will go well.

The class today with the 6th graders was cut short because of a minor incident. One girl stepped on a piece of glass and started bleeding. Then, when Ms. Donk and I looked around the floor to see if there was any more class, we found lots of it. We spent about ten minutes of class time sweeping up broken glass. Other than that, the class went well. We warmed up, and started reviewing the dance. As we were about to start the fourth section, the glass incident happened. After all of the glass was picked up, we continued on with the piece. We started the fourth section of the dance. Before class Ms. Donk hoped that she would be able to finish the fourth section tomorrow, so that the students would have a full week of rehearsal classes before their performance next Wednesday. We will probably finish the fourth section Thursday, because I am teaching Wednesday. Losing this rehearsal day could be harmful. However, I think they'll be able to pull it together and perfect it for Wednesday.
As for me teaching Wednesday, I have to come up with a totally new class. My previous classes were built around me teaching them the choreography for the third section of their dance. Now, I'll probably give them a longer warmup and do some across the floor exercises. I may even create a new chunk of choreography to throw on them.

Totally shut Down

After Mardi Gras break, the 6th graders, Ms. Donk and I were all very exhausted. They didn't feel like dancing, and they weren't in the best of moods. To top it off, Ms. Donk gave them a more challenging warmup than she usually gives. Because she was extremely tired and not feeling well, I got the pleasure of demonstrating the first exercise multiple times. They tried it, and halfway through Ms. Donk stopped the music and said they weren't putting enough energy into it. Once again, I got the pleasure of demonstrating what it looks like with the correct amount of energy. After the warmup, they ran their piece. Once they got to the 3rd section which they finished the last class before the break) it was like their brains completely shut down. Not only did they forget it, but Ms. Donk and I were having a hard time remembering it as well. We stumbled through it trying to get back the counts until class was over. Unfortunately, I won't be in class tomorrow because of a doctor's appointment. Hopefully by Monday our brains will be back on, and we can get back the 3rd section and drill the 4th. Then, we will be able to drill the entire piece and pick a performance date, and prepare for the performance.

I didn't assist the 6th graders yesterday because of a meeting I had to attend with Mr. Trapp and the arts coordinator. When I went into class today, Ms. Donk informed me that she added my choreography into the third section of their piece. I was excited to see how it flowed with the other material. Once they ran the piece, I saw that they tweaked a few things in the choreography to make it work with the music. But overall, the choreography works nicely with the material they've already been given. Also, they look really nice performing it. Today we finished the third section of the dance. It really is amazing to me that some of these kids have never danced before, yet they remember over ten minutes of choreography. 

Once we return from the Mardi Gras break, Ms. Donk is going to choreograph the final section of the piece. After they have learned all of the material, they will probably drill it for about a week or so. Then, it's performance time. They have to perform it in front of their peers at the middle school assembly. Some are really excited about it, and some are dreading it. Also after the break I will have to come up with a new class to teach them.

After they perform this piece they'll be shifting gears. Instead of focusing on modern dance, they will be focusing on jazz. It'll be nice to work on something new, and see them challenge themselves. It'll also be interesting to see if Trinity is versatile, and if Michelle tightens up or loosens up with the style change.